It's summer time and that means trucks are out sled pulling, towing, and getting worked! It also means you are more likely to be considering your trucks next upgrade (or repair).

For the diesel owner who wrenches on his own truck the cost per horsepower is lower and his acceptable margin of error is inevitably higher. In other words, it's cheaper but if something goes wrong there is only yourself to blame. Many enthusiast thrive on this and only trust themselves or a few select others to work on their truck. The reality is however, that many diesel power fanatics don't have the time or skill level to tackle the bigger jobs - They just want to drive them! Read on to see what things to consider in selecting a shop to do work on your truck.

There are a lot of part combinations that can take your 2001-2004 Duramax to 600HP. No matter what selections you make, there are 3 things you have to include if you want to keep your truck healthy and making power.

Duramax owners are generally proud of how their stock turbos perform. They spool quickly, run hard and are capable of over 500 RWHP (once you tune it and make a few supporting modifications to handle the power). However, after driving your truck around 520 RWHP for a while, the addiction will creep in and you may find yourself shopping for more power. We all do it! For some, it may not even be about more power, it may be about EGT control under load, or it may just be the factory turbo had an issue and needs to be replaced. If you are anything like me, you will not want to replace it with the factory components if there is an upgraded, after market, charger available.

In the old days, there was no such thing as a "drop-in" turbo. You pretty much had to buy a turbo that was designed for a different application and convert it to run on your Duramax. Meaning the requirements for installation included several custom fabricated pieces to make it work.

As technology in the diesel performance industry has advanced, our options for parts have expanded. No longer do we have to use semi turbo's and roal coal to make power. Now with the common rail injection system and variable vane turbo advancements there is a real need to find a turbo that makes more power than stock, while retaining all the benefits of a stock turbo.

Benefits of a stock turbo:

Quick Spooling

Clean installation

Reliable

Serviceable by any dealer or reputable shop

Requires no custom fabrication

However, they do lack peak power, and peak power matters! When looking for which upgraded unit to replace the stock turbo, we recommend matching the replacement as close as possible to the desired power level to minimize compromising drive-ability. Any extra capacity you buy in peak for performance will cost you low end response. Example: Looking to make 650rwhp? Buy a turbo that can just barely squeak out 650rwhp, do not buy something that's good for 850rwhp because it will drive poorly a light load.

Actually, more and more people are tuning their 2011 + Duramax (LML) with the emissions equipment intact. This is a great option for Duramax owners that would like a nice, quiet, reliable, efficient truck that performs well every time. However, many LML Owners have some basic questions prior to pursining emissions intact tuning.

So many truck come into our shop with high EGT's, turbo lag, excessive smoke output, and bad fuel mileage which are all symptoms of a boost leak. It is so common to devlop boost leak that we now require all trucks to have a boost test done prior to strapping them down on the dyno. What is funny, is that no one shows up knowing they had a boost leak. The reality is that even if you can hit peak boost, you may have a leak, especially if you have a variable vane turbo. Variable vane turbos will change vane position and other operations to try and achieve a disired boost number which may cover up a leak in the charged air system.

Your truck is generally one of the largest investments you will make, so keeping it on the road is priority number 1!

The LML Duramax is one of the best trucks GM has ever produced. With 397 Horse Power and 796 ft/lbs of torque from the factory, the truck has the power plant necessary to do just about any job you can throw at it. However, despite the massive improvements the LML has brought to the table, there are some all too common pitfalls that can make this beast a burden.

The LLY Duramax is a great truck from the factory for there are 3 modifications every owner should make! The LLY was manufactured 2004.5 and 2005. There are a few 2006 models that are labeled as an LLY, however they have all of the LBZ upgrades from the factory, so for performance applications consider those an LBZ. An LLY was the first Duramax with the injectors outside of the heads, a variable vane turbo and a 50 state EGR.

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About Us

Calibrated Power Solutions Inc. is a data driven, market leading tuning business. We are dedicated to providing high-quality engine calibrations that represent the best mix of drivability, reliability, and power available within the performance automotive aftermarket. We keep our edge by encouraging innovation. We drive and verify results by employing expert staff, who are equipped with the best tools in the business. We view ourselves as prompt, reliable professionals who deliver. CPS aims to establish a nationally recognized standard in our market for product quality and service delivery.